


In the Night

by kenopsiaa



Category: That '70s Show
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 00:44:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11635395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenopsiaa/pseuds/kenopsiaa
Summary: Prelude to 5.19, "Bring It On Home." Hyde finds out.





	In the Night

**Author's Note:**

> One possibility of how Jackie ended up sleeping over in the Forman basement. :)

It's the middle of the afternoon when Hyde strolls into the basement and finds Jackie curled up on the couch, sound asleep. 

The sight itself isn't all that weird, mostly because he himself enjoys a good midday nap; but since this is possibly the tenth time he's caught her snoozing in the Forman's basement within the last couple of weeks, it's getting a little weird. 

With a heavy sigh, he leans over and gently nudges her knee. "Jackie. Jackie, babe, wake up."

It takes a few moments, but she finally stirs and sits up on the cushion, letting out a yawn so big his grandpa would be envious. She blinks the sleep from her eyes as she adjusts her blouse, which had wrinkled a bit during her slumber. "Hey, Steven," she murmurs, offering a weary smile. 

He plants his hands on his hips and regards her suspiciously. "What's going on with you?"

Her brow furrows in confusion, and she crosses her arms over her chest. "Nothing."

"C'mon, Jackie," he rolls his eyes. "You've been falling asleep left and right all week. Have you been diagnosed with narcolepsy? Or are you just becoming nocturnal?"

"No, no, I just - I've been having trouble sleeping lately, that's all."

"Insomnia?"

She shrugs again, halfheartedly this time. "Yeah, I guess."

He frowns at her response, but lets it go. "Why are you having trouble sleeping?"

"I don't know, Steven," she snaps. "I just can't, and I'm tired, so I'm gonna go make some coffee - unless you have a problem with that too."

She storms off before he can respond, and he settles into his chair in defeat. It's not like Jackie overexerts herself, and she always leaves the basement to go home at a reasonable hour every night. He doesn't have a clue what could be wrong; maybe she's having too much caffeine before bed?

He becomes so engrossed in the newest episode of 'Three's Company' that by the time the end credits start rolling, he realizes that she hasn't come back yet. When he goes upstairs to the kitchen to check on her, he isn't surprised to find her sitting on a stool at the counter, dozed off with her head on top of folded arms, and a cup of lukewarm coffee at her elbow. 

* * *

A few nights later, Hyde and the rest of his loser friends are hanging out at The Hub. His arm hangs loosely around Jackie's shoulder, who's leaning lazily into his side and unashamedly stealing his fries. 

"I'm just saying, one gray hair isn't the end of the world," Donna remarks, patting Kelso's arm. 

Kelso scoffs obnoxiously. "Yeah it _is_ , Donna. No modeling agency is gonna want an eighteen-year-old guy with gray hair!"

"Kelso, it's only one strand," says Forman. "Unless - you didn't pull it out, did you?"

"Of course I did. I made Fez yank it as soon as he saw it."

Hyde exchanges a look with Forman, and then feigns a look of disappointment. "You shouldn't have done that, man. Haven't you heard? If you pull out a gray hair, three more will grow in its place."

Donna stifles a smirk as Kelso lets out a girlish shriek and sprints outside.  

"Kelso, wait! I still think you're handsome!" Fez shouts, jumping out of his chair and running after him.

It'll never get old, pranking that gullible moron.

Suddenly, Jackie pulls away and stands up from her chair. "I'll be right back," she informs him, kissing his cheek and heading toward the restroom. His gaze follows her as she goes, and his heart aches a little at the way her shoulders slump when she thinks no one's looking. He knows something is wrong, but she's clearly embarrassed or ashamed of it because she would say something if she weren't. And he doesn't want to ask her about it directly, since he doesn't have the best track record with comforting words and he always says the wrong damn thing and ends up causing more harm. 

Once the door closes behind her, Donna frowns, seeming confused. "Is she okay? I mean, she didn't even yell at me to go with her."

"Yeah, she seems different lately - a little too quiet, which is alarmingly strange," Eric agrees.

Hyde shrugs. "I don't know what's going on, either. I was hoping one of you two would."

"Maybe she's still upset about her dad's arrest?" Donna offers, taking a sip from her soda.

Frowning, Hyde shakes his head. "Even when her dad went to jail, she didn't act like this. Whatever it is, she's losing sleep over it, man."

"How do you know she's losing sleep?"

He blinks. "How do you _not_ know? I mean, just look at her. She's exhausted."

Donna ponders his claim for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll talk to her about it."

Hyde nods in thanks, and Jackie emerges from the restroom a few moments later, forcing a small smile that doesn't reach her tired eyes. "So it's almost ten, I think I'm gonna call a cab and head home. I'll see you guys later." 

Donna gives him a look, and he has to jog out the door in order to catch up with Jackie outside. He reaches for her wrist, effectively pulling her to a stop down the street from The Hub. "Hey, you don't need to take a cab home. I have a car, I'll drive you."

He doesn't miss the panic that flashes briefly in her eyes under the streetlight. "No, Steven, that's okay, really -"

"Jackie, it's late. You're not taking a cab by yourself." He points over her shoulder, where his car is parked. "Now, get in my car. Please."

She huffs in defeat, crossing her arms over her chest and turning in the direction of the El Camino. "Only 'cause you said please."

The drive is mostly silent, and Hyde takes occasional peeks at her before looking back at the road. She's being so fucking quiet, which is really unsettling when he considers how much she usually talks. Her arms are crossed over her chest as well - a defensive posture he knows all about. Hell, he invented that move, and he's never seen Jackie do it before. He doesn't like how closed-off she is; she's usually so extraverted, constantly talking and keeping everyone up to date on what's happening in her life. Hyde always joked about wanting Jackie to shut up all the time, but now that she actually has, he doesn't like it very much. It's creepy.

When he pulls up to the curb outside of her staggeringly-large house, he notices that all of the lights are off. "Thanks for the ride," she mumbles, almost inaudibly, and slowly opens the car door. 

He exits the car and follows after her, observing the way her strides become slower - as if she's dreading something that awaits her inside. And it's only weird because she usually skips all the way to her front door, her dark hair swishing happily as she waves goodbye. 

"Jackie," he calls after her, coming to a halt on the cement driveway. "Wait."

She stops and turns, wrapping her coat tighter around herself. She looks so small, standing in comparison to the mansion behind her. 

He closes the distance between them, and he stares at her for a minute under the moonlight; and he really starts to notice the dark circles under her eyes, along with a new hardness in her features that he hadn't really seen before and his heart breaks a little bit because Jackie isn't _hard_. She's soft, and she's warm and she always smells like rainbows and cupcakes and _no,_  she isn't supposed to be hard. That's Hyde's role in their relationship, not hers. 

And suddenly, everything is making a whole lot of sense.

His gaze drifts briefly to the house, and then back to meet hers. "Jackie," he says slowly, "is there anyone inside?"

She shifts her weight from one foot to the other and presses her lips into a line, obtaining an expression of shame as her eyes find her feet. "No."

His chest tightens. "You told me your mom was back in town."

Her hazel eyes start to glisten, "I lied."

"Why?" He's trying not to let his frustration show, because he knows that this isn't Jackie's fault and she really hasn't done anything wrong. He remembers when his own parents left him alone and he hadn't wanted to talk about it to anybody either, so he doesn't blame her for keeping this a secret - even though he wishes she had felt comfortable enough to come to him about it rather than opting to sleep alone in her big house. If anyone had found out she was staying here by herself...

"Because it's humiliating, Steven!" She cries, covering her mouth with the back of her hand and blatantly trying to keep unshed tears from falling. "It was bad enough that my dad went to fucking prison, okay? And then I came home from school one day to find that my mother just took off! She was gone, she just - left me, and I don't want other people to know that my own mom doesn't give a shit about her kid." Her voice breaks at the end of her outburst, and she quickly looks away. 

She's clearly embarrassed by this, as she hadn't even wanted him to drive her home; and Hyde's heart is literally aching, because this wasn't supposed to happen to Jackie. Not _his_ Jackie, who chews bubble gum and wears tee shirts with pink unicorns on them and sparkly hair bows that are actually really cute. No - _he's_ the abandoned kid, the one with commitment issues and emotional baggage. Not her. "Jackie..."

"I'm so sorry, Steven, I tried, I really did," she continues, avoiding his gaze while she wipes away a few rogue tears before they can roll down her cheeks. "But there are just so many creepy noises and shadows, and -"

He steps forward and quickly wraps his arms around her trembling shoulders, pulling her into his chest and holding her tightly. She tenses up at first, but then her shaky breaths start to even out and she relaxes into him, looping her slender arms around his waist. 

It's all making sense now, why she's been so tired all the time and emotionally withdrawn from him and the rest of the group. And he feels awful because while she was too terrified of her own home to get any sleep, he was thinking that she had gone batshit crazy and was all hyped up on caffeine or some shit. 

She doesn't deserve this. Jackie deserves a family who loves her unconditionally - not a deadbeat dad and a flighty mom who only show their love for her when it's convenient. She doesn't deserve to feel betrayal and loss and abandonment and heartbreak caused by the only two people who are supposed to be there for her when shit gets difficult. 

Hyde likes it when she smiles, and anyone who makes her cry has their name written on his fist. (Except for Mrs. Burkhart, maybe, because he isn't sure he's cool with that. Perhaps a stern, nonviolent talking-to instead.)

When she's mostly calmed down, he holds her at arm's length and brushes the tears from her face with his thumbs. "Go get your stuff. You're staying with me."

A flicker of hope flashes through her eyes, but it vanishes as quickly as it came. "Steven, are you sure? I don't want to be a bother -"

He silences her with a soft kiss. "I'm sure."

Then he follows her inside, through the dark foyer and up the extensive spiral staircase to the second floor. There's a pang in his chest as he passes her parents' bedroom, where the door stands ajar. It's clear that someone had moved out in a hurry, with drawers half-opened and a partially made-up bed and clothes strewn haphazardly around the floor. Hyde pulls the door closed before continuing down the hallway.

He's surprised when she packs only her Hello Kitty backpack, but then he realizes that she's most likely not in the mood to hang around an empty house. She confirms his assumptions when she smiles weakly and says, "Let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

"So you're not mad?"

They're laying on Hyde's cot in the basement; he leans against the wall with his legs outstretched, and Jackie lays on her back with her head in his lap. "Nah," he replies, running his fingers through her soft hair. "Well, maybe a little. I mean, I'm not exactly thrilled about the idea of you living all alone in your house. Especially at night."

"I know." She pulls at a thread on the hem of the shirt she'd taken from his drawer, revealing the strip of lace over her hips. He hadn't put up much of an argument when she told him she preferred to sleep in a tee shirt and panties. 

His hand skims over her thigh. "Jackie, why didn't you tell me your mom bailed? You know I would've let you stay here instead."

She chews her bottom lip, leading him to believe that maybe she didn't know that. 

He frowns. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah," she replies, but it isn't very convincing. What the hell? It's not like he would've turned her away, or let her continue living all by herself. Hyde's mean, but he's not _that_ mean. And Jackie, she's... She isn't exactly the type of girl who was raised in the streets, with an exterior hardened by gang fights and broken families. It's no wonder she wasn't able to sleep in her empty house.

"C'mon, Jackie. What made you not want to tell me?"

She shakes her head on his lap. "Nothing. It's stupid."

"No, not nothing. What?"

After a moment she sits up, criss-crossing her legs as she faces him. "I thought -" Her face flushes, and she avoids his gaze. "I thought you would want a...favor. For letting me stay."

He blinks, disbelieving. "You thought I would expect something from you if you slept here."

She looks extremely uncomfortable. "Yes."

A small piece of his heart breaks. "Why would you think that?"

"Well, Michael used to..." She trails off, seeming to decide against whatever she'd been about to admit.

But the insinuation is enough to plant the image in his head, and his hand balls into a fist. Fucking Kelso - he's gonna kill that bastard. "Jackie, that's not - I wouldn't. Kelso's a jackass, okay?"

An amused smile ghosts her lips, and she laces her fingers through his. "Yeah, he is."

"Listen." He tugs on her wrist until she straddles his waist, and he kisses the center of her forehead. "You don't owe me a damn thing, alright? And I don't want you to be shy about this stuff. I went through it too, remember? I know what it feels like when no one's around, and I know it's scary."

"It's scary," she echoes, her small hands landing on his chest. "Well, just at nighttime, mostly - with the noises, and the weird shadows..."

He laughs. "Didn't notice 'em so much before, right?"

"Right." Her eyes are half-lidded in exhaustion, but she still looks at him seriously. "Thank you for this, Steven."

"You don't need to thank me." One of his hands rests on her thigh, and the other tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear. "And, hey - for what it's worth, I'm sorry about your mom."

She shrugs. "She was never all that good at sticking around. Or, like, raising me."

"Hey, yours and mine both."

She laughs again, but it morphs into a massive yawn. Then she smiles apologetically and runs a hand over her face. 

"All right, you should go to sleep. I know for a fact you're tired, so don't even try lying about that one."

"Yeah, I really need to get rid of these hideous bags," she agrees, touching the discoloration around her eyes. "I'm way too young for night serums."

Hyde just shakes his head as he gets up to go turn the light off, because he has no idea what the hell a serum is. 

When he crosses the room and crawls back into bed, he loops his arm over her ribs and pulls her back against his chest, tucking his hand snugly between the mattress and her waist. He presses his lips to the junction of her neck and the swoop of her shoulder, smiling lightly when she lets out a sigh. "Night, baby," she whispers, running her hand softly over his forearm. 

"Night."

* * *

In the morning, Hyde wakes to the disturbing noise of company in the basement. Jackie's still asleep beside him - as he imagines she will be for a while - and the clock reads ten a.m. Perfect; he's awake before noon. Just perfect. 

He emerges from his bedroom a few moments later, prepared to give Forman a piece of his mind (and his fist) for having the TV on too loud, and Donna and Fez for playing some stupid game with a stupid ball - when his gaze lands on Kelso, who's obnoxiously eating a bag of potato chips in _his_ chair. Hyde's chair. 

Oh, fuck no. 

That idiot has some nerve to sit in Hyde's seat with a mouthful of food after the way he'd treated Jackie. No, no, no. Not today.

Hyde marches over angrily and glares at him for a moment. When he doesn't seem to get the hint and continues to stare at him with a dumbass look on his face, Hyde takes the initiative and frogs him in the arm. Hard.

"AH!" He yells, spastically throwing his chips in the air and clutching his bicep. "Damn, Hyde! What was that for?"

Feeling slightly better with some of his aggression alleviated, he smirks at him before striding past a sniggering Eric and back into his bedroom. "So many things, Kelso. It's for so many things."


End file.
